Fire Commission hears staffing and facility plan: 50 ambulance FTEs requested; Station 35 moved after gas leak

The San Francisco Fire Commission on Dec. 8 received a wide-ranging report from Chief of Department Janine Nicholson that included a midyear supplemental request to fund 50 additional full‑time ambulance positions and updates on training facilities, recruit academies, station repairs and fleet procurements.

Nicholson told the Commission the supplemental request for 50 ambulance FTEs is a "significant, much needed increase" that she expects will be forwarded from the Budget and Finance Committee to the full Board of Supervisors for approval. "This significant, much needed increase in our EMS, in our ambulance staffing, is a big deal," Nicholson said, noting prior conversations with board members and the controller's office.

Why it matters: The department said higher ambulance staffing is intended to address EMS capacity and long hospital turnaround times, issues discussed statewide. Nicholson also described recruitment activity, including a 42‑member EMT class expected to reach field deployment in early January and plans for multiple recruit academies in 2022 to reduce overtime pressure.

Training facility and bond funding

Nicholson said the department is pursuing a training facility on property at 1236 Carroll and has a lease arrangement with Prologis for the privately owned parcel while working with Port‑owned property that requires state legislation to complete. "We are hopeful that that legislation will be introduced in mid January," she said, and noted that some funding would come from bond allocations noted in the report (referred to in the meeting as the Easter bond). Commissioners pressed whether the bond fully covers acquisition and Port‑site costs; Nicholson said additional Port funds or Board of Supervisors action may still be required.

Station repairs and Station 35 temporary move

ADC Dawn DeWitt reported that PG&E pressure testing on Dec. 2 discovered leaks in the existing gas main under the pier serving Station 35; a riser leak required shutting gas to the existing firehouse and temporarily moving Engine 35 to Station 13 until repairs are complete. "The gas had to be shut down to the existing firehouse," DeWitt said, and she said electrical energization for the new station barge was scheduled and should not be delayed by the existing‑line repairs.

Station 7 rebuilding remains on hold because department leaders want firmer estimates for the training center budget before allocating bond funds to both projects; a DPW estimate discussed in the meeting put Station 7 near $40,000,000, which the chiefs said must be reconciled with training‑center needs before proceeding.

Recruitment, overtime and wellness

Department leaders said elevated retirements and COVID‑era delays in academy scheduling contributed to current staffing shortages and higher overtime usage. To reduce unpredictability the department has piloted an advanced sign‑up approach for weekend staffing. Chiefs said three recruit academies are planned for 2022 to restore staffing levels. The department also described wellness and behavioral‑health efforts, cancer screening events, and a booster vaccination push that served roughly 100 members in recent clinic sessions.

Fleet and grants

Fleet updates included delivery and inspection schedules for platform/truck apparatus, a mobile air truck expected for delivery in mid‑December to support SCBA bottle refill operations, and several engines arriving by year‑end. Chiefs also announced a newly formed departmental grants committee to identify and shepherd external funding opportunities.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 20‑21‑05 (findings for teleconferenced meetings under California Government Code section 54953(c)): moved by Commissioner Francie Covington, seconded, approved by unanimous roll call.
- Approval of minutes (11/10/2021): moved and seconded; approved unanimously.
- Adoption of the 2022 Fire Commission meeting calendar: moved by Commissioner Ken Cleveland, seconded by Commissioner Francie Covington; adopted unanimously.
- Adjournment in honor of Chiefs DeWitt and Fellow (Veil): motion carried unanimously.

What’s next: Nicholson said she would appear before the Board of Supervisors Budget & Finance Committee that day on the supplemental EMS request; commissioners asked staff for follow‑up details on project budgets and schedules for Station 7, Station 35 repairs, and the proposed training facility.